Houthis release 159 detained Yemeni soldiers

The Houthi armed group has released 159 Yemeni soldiers detained amid the ongoing conflict in the country.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed the release, Al Jazeera reported.

The organisation said its teams had helped the released individuals prepare to return home.

The Houthis said the 159 men were fighters loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government. They allegedly “voluntarily surrendered without a fight” last month as the group seized strategic areas along the Red Sea coast.

Houthi official Abdelkader al-Mortada told reporters that the men had been released under a general amnesty. He added that a total of 323 detainees had been freed under the amnesty.

The Yemeni government did not immediately comment on the release.